Hacked microbes: brain-controlled paramecium (video)

BY BLORGE /May 21, 2013 9:00 pm

Last month we reported on an experiment in which scientists used the power of thought, and a little help from a BCI setup, to control the movements of an anesthetized rat. This time we want you to meet Geva Patz, a citizen scientist working in concert with Genspace (a New York City-based biohacker space) who has posted his paramecium project with instructions for hacking together a similar setup that allows you to mind-control your own microbes. Check out the video below.

The setup is a pretty simple one (although putting together the various electronic components may take a little know-how), and though your tiny paramecium minions can’t help you move your couch or crush your enemies as of yet, it is nevertheless impressive. Who would have expected that a webcam, an Arduino, and a BCI could be combined for such an application?

We at Neurogadget love reporting on projects like this precisely because they are unexpected in the best possible way.

While there are some fantastic apps and applications being made by BCI manufacturers and professional developers, often the coolest projects are those like this one: made for fun with instructions posted free on the web for anyone who wants them.